Photo: RNZ / Nate McKinnon
Police have arrested and charged a man with arson after a series of fires across Dunedin this week.
Police said the charges related to a deliberate fire at a vacant property on Lees Street at about 12.30am on Tuesday.
It was followed by a building fire on Harrow Street at about 11.30pm on Wednesday, and then a vegetation fire on Brighton Road at about 1.20am.
The 48-year old man appeared in Dunedin District Court yesterday charged with "wilfully setting fire to property knowing that danger to life was likely to ensue", and was remanded in custody until his next appearance on 16 December.
Detective Senior Sergeant Nik Leigh said investigators were still looking into the circumstances around the fires.
"The arrest is a significant development for us; the investigation team has been chasing down a lot of leads but there's still work for us to do.
"We're grateful for those people who have provided information, but we still need to hear from anyone with information who has yet to reach out."
Nobody was injured, but that didn't make the fires any less serious, he said.
"Fire spreads incredibly quickly and it puts everyone at risk, from the public to emergency services.
"We treat these events seriously, and the arrest we've made in this case is a welcome development."
Anyone with any useful information could update police online or by calling 105, with the reference number 251118/1721.
